Why Meditate?
"Why meditate? As you suffer less, are more fulfilled, as you understand who you are, and as you have a handle on changing how you carry yourself, all of that sums up ultimately in how you contribute to making this world a better place."
~ Shinzen Young
Very Different from a Wandering Mind
I have to admit I’m really attracted to his model of teaching because it really articulates a very specific way of mental noting and labeling.
To Get Back There
"It is probably the case that our very ancient ancestors—before the arising of civilization, when we were still in a tribal state—lived an awful lot of their lives in a meditative state just naturally.
And then, with the arising of civilization, that becomes lost and it's necessary to create conceptual frameworks and specific practice techniques to get back there."
~ Shinzen Young
The Goal of the Meditation Practice
"The ultimate thing that meditation can do for the individual is show them how their happiness does not need to be dependent on conditions.
When does a person have their happiness not dependent on a condition? Whenever they are having a complete experience."
~ Shinzen Young
Come and Go Freely
"The sense of self becomes a home rather than a prison. You can come and go freely."
~ Shinzen Young
Silent Contributions to the Conversation
May our sincere, imperfect efforts contribute something useful to the conversation between the contemplative traditions and neuroscience, which share the desire to reduce human suffering.
Direct Contact
"For most people the senses are opaque. A window is opaque if it is covered by soot; light can't come through. The soot is craving, aversion, and ignorance. When that's cleared away, the ordinary senses become literally transparent. It is very hard to describe what this is like."
~ Shinzen Young